Commanders’ Terry McLaurin closing in on NFL history after TD vs NY Giants

Perhaps the best part of Taylor Heinicke’s run as the Washington Commanders’ staring quarterback has been his affinity for Terry McLaurin. It’s gotten him into trouble on occasion this season, but it’s also the reason Washington was able to beat the Packers and Colts.

With the Commanders relying on the running game in recent weeks, McLaurin’s managed just eight catches for 103 yards the last two games. Those stats do a disservice to McLaurin’s overall impact, but Washington fans weren’t being irrational for wanting more looks for Terry against the Giants on Sunday.

After Jahan Dotson dominated the target share on Washington’s opening drive, Heinicke found a wide open McLaurin for a first quarter touchdown. The throw was a little behind McLaurin, but the star receiver made a casual one-handed grab and shed a tackle on former Commander Fabian Moreau to get in the end zone.

Go ahead and add this to Scary Terry’s highlight reel.

Commanders’ Terry McLaurin closing in on NFL history after early touchdown vs the NY Giants.

As cool as you’d like from McLaurin. Widely viewed as the game’s most underrated receiver, McLaurin is actually close to etching his name in NFL history. With just 41 more yards (needed 60 total coming into the game), the 26-year-old would become the sixth player in league history with at least 50 catches and 900 receiving yards in each of their first four seasons, via ESPN’s Field Yates.

The other players? Randy Moss, Mike Evans, Joey Galloway, A.J. Green and Michael Thomas. Just incredible for McLaurin, and it’s even more impressive when you consider he’s never had an elite quarterback throwing his spirals … and Washington’s had a revolving door of QBs since he was drafted in 2019.

While Moss is one of the most decorated receivers in NFL history, Evans and Green have put together Hall of Fame-caliber careers themselves.

Thomas was on a HoF trajectory before injuries derailed the last three seasons of his career, while Galloway amassed seven 1,000-yard seasons and three seasons with 10 or more touchdowns catches in his lengthy career.

Odds are McLaurin joins this group by the end of Sunday’s game. Even if he has to wait another two weeks (Washington has a bye in Week 14), this stat just underscores that he’s one of the game’s very best receivers.

But Washington fans already knew that.